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{
    "id": 554346,
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    "content": "fertilization outside the body for both the sperm and the ovum, putting then together and coming up with a gamete is very critical. One of the issues that are also very complicated is usually the issue of informed consent and the legal provision. You find that a Kenyan woman, who wants to have a child, has an agreement with a surrogate mother, a young person who is about 20 years old. They make an agreement that she is going to carry the child up to a particular point, gives the fee and the agreement document. Midway, because we are human beings, things happen, emotions grow and one finds that they are attached to the baby and do not want to give it away. How do we handle those issues? In this Bill, the issue of informed consent is canvassed very clearly; that at any one point, there has to be understanding and this is so critical because we are dealing with human beings. The person who is going to be born is a human being with equal rights like anybody else who is alive. Therefore, canvassing across the whole issue of consent, ensuring that there is no sort of inducement and that both parties---Sometimes it might even involve up to three different parties who are fully aware of what is happening. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the objects and purposes of this Bill are very clear and critical. We need to provide for the protection and advancement of reproductive health for every person. Reproductive health touches on 12 and 15 year olds, both boys and girls, promotes women’s health and safe motherhood. We have seen the statistics. In fact, the Bill even provides that, for example, in each of the counties, we have referral hospitals and facilities. Long gone should be the days that a mother dies because they are trying to get to hospital to give birth to a baby. No more should a woman die because they are bringing forth life. These issues have been canvassed including the issue of drives that have been made by the First Lady to ensure that there are mobile clinics. With devolution, we expect that in the next three years, we should reach a point where nobody should worry about the statistics that they might end up being dead either because of a complication as a result of child birth, the process, lack of enough money and could not go to hospital or because they did not have information. We are talking about 50 years after Independence. There is a process that if somebody is pregnant, they should follow through. However, most of the time, it has not happened and it has caused women’s lives. It is not difficult for it to stop. If we have the determination, then it can stop. The Bill puts into place a very critical board. The Reproductive Health Care Board looks at various aspects, for example, coordination and implementation of national and county policies, which is very important in creating awareness to members of the public about their reproductive health and rights which is a critical point. Cultural and social issues are the real problems in reproductive health. I remember when we were at a seminar on the same Bill, one of the issues that came up is that in certain situations, action was not taken. When a woman wants to have a caesarian section, the man has to be consulted to give consent. This is a question of being able to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}